Automatic life-preserver.



W. F. JOHNSON. AUTOMATIC LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATIQJV FILED MAR. 9. I917.

'IN VENTOR 0%71600 Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I WITNESSES ATTORNEY W. F. JOHNSON. AUTOMATIC LIFEPRESERVER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, Ian.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Q 1 A 6 m0 2 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR K/Tff WITNESSES ATTORNEY a citizen of the WILLIS IE. JOHNSON,

or RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC LIFE-PRESERVEB.

Application filed. March 9, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that I, WILLIS F. J onnsou,

Riverside, in the county of Riverside and have invented new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Life- Preservers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is an improved inflatable life preserving belt providedwith means for automatically inflating the same with a buoyant of gaswhen the wearer of the belt enters the water so that the belt serves toprevent the wearer from sinking, and also provided with manuallyoperated means tocause the gas to be generated and employed forinflating the belt, one object of the invention being to effectimprovements in the construction of the belt; and another object beingto effect improvements in the construction of the gas generating means.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an autolnatic life belt constructed and arranged in accordance with myinvention, and as in condition for use.

.Fig. 9. is a detailed transverse sectional view of the belt on a planeintersecting one of the buoys.

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the gas generatingapparatus.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the same.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the same.

Fig. 6 is a detailed elevation of the gas generating apparatus and ofportions of the life belt.

The belt 1 may be made of canvas or other suitable material, and isadapted to be placed around the body under the arms and is pro- 'videdat one end with adjusting straps 2 and at the opposite end with buckles3. Buoys 4: are secured on the outer side of the belt and are spacedapart and are also spaced' from the ends of the belt.

Two of the buoys are here shown, one for arrangement in front of theperson using the belt and the other for arrangement on theback of theperson. These buoys are inflatable bodies, are flexible and collapsibleand are in practice made of canvas and lined with rubber. Any suitablematerial may, however, be employed in the construction of the buoys orSpecification of Letters Patent.

United States, residing at f the carbid tank is a loop Patented Aug. X,19 1?.

Serial No. 153,775.

inflatable bodies as desired. The width of the buoys exceeds that of thebelt, the corners of the buoys are rounded as shown and the buoyssemi-cylindrical in cross section. The buoys are connected together by atube 5 which is provided with a tubular hose connecting arm 6.

I also provide in connection with the belt and the inflatable buoys orbodies a gas generating apparatus 7 for generating acetylene gas fromcalcium carbid or other material which combines with water to generate abuoyant gas. The gas generator comprises a cylindrical carbid or agenerating tank 8 and a water tank 9 the lower end of which is screwedin the upper end of the carbid tank so that the said tanks aredetachably secured together. On one side of 10 through which the beltpasses, the generator being secured on the belt and being arranged inthe space between the buoys i and under the right arm of the wearer ofthe belt.

A vertically arranged water inlet pipe 11 has its lower end secured in acentral opening in the bottom of'the'tank 8, said water inlet pipe beingopen at its upper and lower ends and being provided with a screen 12 atits lower end. A perforated pipe 18 which is of greater diameter thanthe water inlet pipe is arranged concentrically around the latter withits lower end secured to the bottom of the tank 8 and its upper endprovided with a screen 14. A valve cage 15 is screwed to the upper endof the water inlet pipe. A valve 16 is provided to normally close theupper end of said pipe 11 and said valve is arranged in the cage and isnormally held in closed position by a weak spring 17. A floating screen18 is arranged in the tank 8 and around the perforated pipe, to bear onand hold the carbid in place and said floating screen is held lightlypressed on the carbid by a Spring 19 the upper end of which bearsagainst the bottom of the water tank 9.

A gas escape pipe or nipple 20 passes vertically through the top andbottom of the water tank 9, is open at its ends, and is attached at itsupper end to the hose connection 6 so that gas generated in the tank 8is caused to pass through the pipe 20, connection 6 and tube 5 directlyinto the buoys 4 to inflate the latter and render the belt buoyant.

It-will be understood that when the ap foo paratus is immersed in wateras when the Wvearer thereof falls into or "oluntarilyenters the water,the

the slight resistance and passes through the perforations in the pipe 13into the carbid, thus generating acetylene gas and causing the buoys tobe ve passes through an op ening in a guide 24 and has a My improvedlife saving belt is cheap and simple in construction, is very tremelycompact, may be readily carried and it becomes inflated and renderedbuoyant as soon as the person using the belt enters the water. Themanually controlled means for causing the gen;

- gas generator having ose an opening 23 in the valve,

eration of gas may be employed if desired or required. While I haveherein shown a preferred form of my inventionI would have it understoodthat changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of theseveral parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention andwithin the scope of the appended claims.

aving thus described my invention, what claim is 2* 1. In apparatus ofthe class described a a water inlet pipe, a valve mounted at the innerend of said pipe to control the admission ofyvater to the enanddescribed 2. In a gas generator of the class described a generating tankopen at its up per end and provided with a water inlet and a normallvclosed valve to admit water to the generator when the latter isimmersed,

a water tank detachably secured in and clos-' mg the upper end of thegenerator, means to permit the leading to the generating vessel, a valveto close said opening, a spring to open said and a cap havlng threadedconnection with the water vessel and and bearing on the head of saidpermitting the opening of the said valve by said spring when said cap ispartly unscrewed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIS F. JOHNSON.

